June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and it’s been a month full of celebration at JCPenney. From our third annual Hope & Wonder Pride collection to events across the country, keep reading for all the ways JCPenney supported the LGBTQ+ community this month.
Pride Parades
JCPenney associates participated in more Pride parades across the country this year than ever before. From Los Angeles to Boston, associates joined in the celebrations to cheer on the community, representing JCPenney in the following parades:
- Dallas, TX – June 2
- Boston, MA – June 8
- Detroit, MI – June 8
- Los Angeles, CA – June 9
- Louisville, KY – June 15
- Columbus, OH – June 15
- Nashville, TN – June 22
JCPenney Beauty brands including KimChi Chic Beauty, Mintty Makeup, NYX and The Phluid Project provided free products and samples for festival-goers and in some locations, JCPenney Salon associates provided quick services like hair chalk, feathers and tinsel to parade attendees.
Engaging Our Associates
Throughout the month of June, the Pride business resource team (BRT) led programming for associates to celebrate with and learn from the LGBTQ+ community within JCPenney. On June 6, associates joined one of JCPenney’s lead designers for the 2024 Hope & Wonder Pride collection for a conversation around the inspiration for this year’s collection, which emphasized outward expression with individual self-reflection. To close out the month, the Pride BRT hosted guest speaker Aiden Key, founder of Gender Diversity, for a conversation on best practices around inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
At JCPenney, Pride’s mission is to celebrate and empower our LGBTQ+ associates by creating a more inclusive workplace through education, communication and mentorship.
Supporting Point Foundation
Beyond engaging the community through these events, Pride at JCPenney means celebrating our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community through our Hope & Wonder private label brand.
For the third year in a row, 100% of net profits from the Hope & Wonder Pride collection will benefit Point Foundation – with funds specifically earmarked to support Point’s community college scholarship program. This year, JCPenney is proud to share that our 2024 commitment of $100,000—inclusive of all Hope & Wonder 2024 Pride collection net profits—brings our three-year giving total to Point Foundation to $300,000, funding 30 community college scholarships.
This year’s Hope & Wonder campaign came to life with a special photoshoot that included Point Foundation alumni, as well as JCPenney associates, to help capture the power and importance of representation through the Hope & Wonder Pride collection.
JCPenney’s partnership with Point Foundation is a year-round collaboration. JCPenney associates invest their time in Point programming, and leaders from Point visit the JCPenney Home Office for timely conversations with our JCPenney LGBTQ+ business resource team (BRT), Pride.
To learn more about the 2024 Hope & Wonder Pride collection and our partnership with Point Foundation, read more here.
